We should be counting our lucky stars. Or should we?

We have all heard that at least once in our lives. We may know someone who actually does have the worst luck we ever saw. Everything in their lives that can go wrong, does go wrong.

I know I have had my share of bad days, but fortunately they have been few. Is it all about luck, or is it not? Is there really a thing called bad luck that just hovers around us and waits to drop, like some kind of bomb?

Could it be instead some kind of alignment of the planets that dictates good or bad luck? And what about old Friday the 13th? Really? I was born on a 13th and had many, many Friday celebrations over the years. I do not recall any especially bad birthdays at all. Somebody must believe in this stuff or how would the scary “Friday the 13th” movies do so darn good?

There are people who believe luck is responsible for just about everything that happens to them. Nothing left to chance, coincidence or anything else. Just luck, good or bad. We do have those who will tell you they have the "Luck of the Irish." Some may say they are "lucky in love," and others do not believe anything happens because you are "just lucky!" Of course, we all know of the expression "getting lucky." Depending on your age, that could mean anything from a sexual encounter to a good night’s sleep.

My sister once found a cat that had fallen off a third floor balcony above her apartment. The little kitty survived, and, of course, she kept her and named her. What else? Lucky.

I think that a lot of luck is involved with gambling. Let’s face it, who really plays the odds when they buy a lotto ticket or sits down at a slot machine? Those who play the odds, do so on sporting events, horse racing and that sort of thing. Those winners are usually based on researching, reading a scratch-sheet, etc. So how much do you believe luck plays a part in your life? I was curious myself as to how much is superstition, and how often people believe that an event in their life was strictly due to luck. So I asked around.

The first person I asked about this luck thing said, “When I became a Christian it was the luckiest day of my life and changed everything for me.” I thought that was a bit odd, and asked why he considered that to be luck? He said, “I had been going to this church just to meet women and because they put out great snacks. One time while I was there, I actually listened to what was going on, and when I left that day I was never the same. I was a new man and began a whole new life as a Christian." Was that luck, or perhaps divine intervention?

Someone I know was at a Little League game to watch a grandson play. One of the kids came around selling tickets to raise money for the league. They were $1 each, and whatever money was collected from the crowd was split 50-50 with the league. She had not expected she would need to bring money to the game, but did have $1 in her pocket. "I will take one ticket," she told the kid. "But only one?” Asked the little girl. "Sure, one is enough." Well, she did end up having the winning ticket that day and took the whole family to Dairy Queen after the game. I would have to agree that luck played some part in that.

Another person I asked about the luck thing remembered a near traffic accident that happened many years ago.

"This guy was changing lanes an awful lot and seemed to be in a big hurry. I was on my way to a Disneyland trip with several kids in the car. I remember thinking, I probably should stay completely the hell away from this guy, and so I did. About ten minutes later we noticed traffic had slowed to a crawl and expected there had been a wreck ahead of us. As we finally managed to get to the area of the wreck, I could not help but notice it was the car of the man who had been driving so erratically just minutes earlier. He had hit another car, and both cars looked as though they were fatal crashes. I know it was sheer luck that we were not in that wreck."

Of course, no one knows for certain if luck played a part or not.

Who does not know someone who has a lucky shirt, pair of socks, lucky shoes or even lucky drawers? People often hang on to all sorts of things that MAY have brought them luck? Yet, they do not consider themselves to be superstitious at all. If we hang on to the things that bring good luck, does that mean we should throw out the stuff that doesn't? Most people are just thankful when good things happen to them and those they love, but some will say that others are "just plain lucky" when they win money, snag a great job, meet their perfect mate at a grocery store, or pick out a perfect watermelon.

If a good day is a lucky day, then that works fine for me. If a bad day is just an unlucky day, I can live with that, too. But when you are old, every day is a lucky day if you wake up! No matter whether it is downhill the rest of the day or not.

Wishing everyone the very best of luck in all that you do or don't do. Maybe we all just make our own luck after all.